Valentine's Day Cards with Candy (Plus Other Food Gifts)

Creative labels turn everyday treats into Valentine's Day delights perfect for sharing at school or work. For less than you'd spend on a bag of ready-made Valentine's Day candy, you can make these charming little gifts by packaging treats with homemade tags.

Valentine Gifts and Gift Tags

Any treat can be made sweeter with a fun label. The key is clever wordplay, letting the food inspire a witty saying. Use your computer to make labels, and print them on cardstock. Start with our free patterns available at the end of each slide.

How to Use Our Valentine's Tags

We placed each tag to fit an 8-1/2x11-inch sheet. Print onto a light-color textured cardstock, which is sturdier than standard printer paper (its heavier weight makes it less likely to wrinkle or bend). Print as many copies as you need, then trim with scissors and package as shown in the idea. Use sticker paper for the ideas that go directly onto fruits.

Pear Valentine with Tag

There's a reason they call fruit "nature's candy," and sweet, mouth-watering pears are no exception. Punch a hole through a printed label, and use decorative string or ribbon to attach to the stem of the fruit.

"Be My Love Bug" Valentine

These cute little "love bugs" are impossible to resist -- add a pair of googly eyes and pipe cleaner antennae to a stick of gum and adhere the creatures to a heart shape to make a fun Valentine's Day gift.

Filled with Love Candy Sacks

Fashion these pouches from festive scrapbook paper and fill with your valentine's favorite candy to make a perfect (and thoughtful!) gift. To make, simply fold paper lengthwise, seal with adhesive or double-sided tape, and attach a heart tag made from construction paper for a sweet finish.

Butterflies with Candy

A few pieces of chewable fruit candy transform into a butterfly with tissue paper wings and pipe cleaner antennae. Wrap the candy in a length of ribbon and secure with a dab of hot glue. Position pipe cleaner between ribbon and candy, and fan out the tissue paper and glue to the back to create wings.

Felt Candy Pouch with Cutouts

Give a sneak preview of what's inside this candy sack with two heart shapes cut from the felt. Hold the felt pouch together with a wide ribbon threaded through two holes punched on both sides, and keep it secure by tying the ribbon at the top. Add a heart-shape gift tag with the recipient's name to finish the gift.

Candy and Balloons Valentine

Wrap a long piece of candy, such as Air Heads or Laffy Taffy, with a wide ribbon. Instead of adding a gift tag, write your valentine's name and a short message on a balloon. Tie the balloon to the treat for a sky-high memento.

Valentine's Bag of Kisses

An ordinary paper bag becomes a sweet Valentine's Day gift with a few simple touches. Cut a large heart shape from scrapbook paper and attach it to the bag. Cut out a smaller heart shape in the front and cover the hole with plastic, attaching to the inside of the bag, so the contents won't fall out. Use a red pen to write "Be My Valentine" and draw the outline of a heart on the bag to finish the gift.

Three-Dimensional Candy Flowers

Give these paper flowers a three-dimensional effect by adding a bubblegum-filled lollipop to the center and using the lollipop stick as the flower stem. To make, push a lollipop through a mini cupcake liner, then cut a slit in the paper flower and push the lollipop through it.

Valentine with Conversation Candy Hearts

Skip the traditional packaging for conversation hearts and use the sweet candies to make a colorful Valentine's Day gift. Fill a clear bag with hearts that read "XOXO" and "Be Mine" and twist it to close; thread through a hole punched in a pink paper heart to keep the candy secure. Embellish the paper heart with a message and a rhinestone dot to add a special touch.